Hey everyone, share your 419 experiences here so we can all get wary of them fraudsters


My Last experience was yesterday. I entered a Red Taxi from Jabi (I wanted to get to Berger jnctn in Wuse, Abuja). The driver already had two passengers before me. A man and a young light-skined (ugly) lady. "Heh!", He exclaimed, as we approached Berger Junvtion. "These VIO people dey here, abeg make I follow like say I de go Area 1, go turn for the other side".

As he boycotted the roundabout, the young lady said she wanted to drop and that she has load. 'Ahh!', said thedriver, 'I though U said U were not the owner of that blue bag in the boot'. She replied and admitted that it was hers. Suddenly, the driver said he was going to take her to their Union for questioning. The other passenger then started pleading for the girl that and asking the driver just to drop her saying "What did she put in the bag?" That was how the driver started accusing her that so she was the one that owns the bag that contain so much dollars and that she had told him her luggage contained plates (Doesnt this 419 drill sound farmiliar). He treatened to take this girl to the police.


I'm out of breath, I'll be back for the rest of the story. I need to eat dinner

Dem thieves are everywhere. I always advise people not to only look before they leap but also think/analyse very well. THEIR AIN'T NO FREE MEAL ANYWHERE, EVEN IN FREETOWN.
Someone who claimed to be my cousin called a while ago. Don't know how he did it but a UK number displayed on my mobile phone screen. I decided to play along. He told me to call a particular local number (GSM) and ask for a pastor Daniel. He said the pastor arrived naija a few days back, his wife had just put to birth in the UK and couldn't reach him. He went further to say he gave the pastor some items for me (digital camera, nokia phone, £5000 cash) I called the pastor in the presence of my friends and put the call on speaker mode. I told him what my alleged cousin said. He confirmed it and asked for my location (gave him a wrong one). He promised travelling from a village in Kogi to meet me in Ogun state. He also acted that he was excited when I told him that my alleged cousin said his wife had put to bed (funny enough, he shouted Al am dullilahi. imagine, a pastor for that matter). He said his wife's people came to pick him from the airport in Abuja to their village in Kogi and he would need me to help send some recharge cards to him so that he could call his wife. He claimed that he couldn't get recharge cards in his village. He was going to give me additional £300 if i did him that favour. When his jist was no longer interesting, I told him in yoruba language that he would die a thief. Initially he was shocked but when he realised that he didn't bait me, he started abusing me. He confessed that he was a professional 419er and that was how he made his living. He even promised to buy me a drink whenever we meet.

Wow!!, A professional 419ner. Only God knows how many people he has duped and how much he has made through his lucrative develish business.

Back to my own story:

At the mention of the word DOLLAR$, the other male passenger (seated beside the driver) turned and asked the girl what business she was int and where she got the dollars from.

She then said "Oga, abeg make una no carry me go police, I de work with one Alhaji, I sabi am from club almost 7 years now. The man don promise say e go marry since, e never marry me. I don even comot 5 bele for this man, still, every year e go say im go marry me. Na im the man come travel yesterday go Libya. na im e get one room we the man no de allow me enter. E come get one key we I find for near the man chair as I de clean im bedroom. I come try the key for that secret room door, the door com open. Wetin I come see full inside the room na dollars. na im I say make I carry run come Abuja. Please make una help me, I no even know any where for this town. I be stranger.

The other man then asked, "Which kind business ur Oga de do?"

She replied, "The man na Niger man, e de do Bureau De Change and e de also do petrol station."

Ahh!! the driver exclaimed, "Na them they thief our money go their country" (Trying to arouse sentiments)

"Okay", said the driver, "I no go tell this girl make e just settle only me make I no carry am go police because una de here and una fit carry my car no go report to police. Wetin go happen be say How much you go settle us?

"$2000" said the girl

"Kai! You are very stupid. you must be a gready girl. With all that money. You are very stupid.

Oga wetin You think say make we do this girl? At this stage, he stopped the car again by the road, that we should open the boot and split the dollars there. I objected to stoping there. The other man too said He had a reputation to protect and that we couldnt just stop there to share dollars. The girl wanted to even open her door, but I ordered her to "COM'ON, SHUT THAT DOOR, Where do u think u are going?".

The driver started off again and the negociation with the girl continued. But the driver really wanted to know what I felt about the issue so he asked again.

I then told the driver to stop the car. he stoped it immediately. I told them that, look, if they wanted to take the girl to the security operatives, they should either take her to the sate security or EFCC. I told the girl to negotiate well with them. As for me, 'I LIKE MONEY' but I didnt need THIS money. That was how I got out of the car, crossed the road to get a drop and flee from that area.

I must admit that I wasnt sure immediately whether they were 4!9ners or they it was a true story untill I called my friend, Fred, and he asked me, "ARE U SURE U WERE NOT THE VICTIM?"

Hello again. Its Wham. As I was scrolling down them rest of the GENERAL section I stumbled on this lady's story which was so much similar to mine. What a coincidence. May be it was those same idiots that picked me up in that red taxi. Sit back and learn from the stories:


[size=14pt]My Encounter With 419ners by ALEROARUYA (Posted on August 21, 2007 on Nairaland )[/size]

Hi all,

This is to notify all Nairaland users who reside in Abuja that their is a group of people who are trying to extort money from people (so I thought) and I had an encounter with them:

I entered a cab, (a very rugged car) from Gana to Nicon Junction, when we were approaching the round-about at the British council’s area, A lady sitting at the back told the driver she wanted to alight, she asked if could get “Going” (commercial motorcycle), I was very surprised because everybody knew “Going” (commercial motorcycle) is not allowed within Abuja metropolis anymore.

I told her she could take another cab as no “Going” (commercial motorcycle) were allowed, she then proceeded to tell the driver that her Ghana-must-go is in the boot and she will like to get it, the driver asked (as if surprised) if she were the owner of the bag and that he gave it to a previous passenger who alighted (before I boarded I suppose). She made as if to cry and I pitied her, the driver on seeing this said the woman has no truth in her mouth because when the previous passenger alighted she told him to be careful with her bag because if contains breakable plates and baby clothes that she sells but when he opened it was full of hard currency.

The moment I heard “Ghana-must-go full of money” I knew they were 419ners (the driver, a man beside the driver and the lady sitting with me at the back) because I have had a similar encounter with them (not this particular group) before.

So I told the lady to take it easy since the driver has agreed to take her back to try and locate the other passenger so she could get her bag back. But when I put 2 and 2 together it did not make sense. I mean how could the driver have given the woman’s bag to the other passenger when he knew it was full of hard currency and the fellow passenger (the fellow 419ner sitting beside the driver) asked the lady how she came to possess dollars but I never heard the driver mention dollar. All the while the car was virtually crawling (done purposely by the driver) and I finally got my chance to escape when the driver took a wrong turn (in his bid to rope me in), I quickly pointed out that I was not going that way and will like to alight without making him suspect anything (incase they were ritualist)

I alighted and that was that for that. My sister had a similar encounter just last month, the only variation was that the taxi was a little grand when compared to my own and the driver was wearing a spike like hair style and listening to Gospel music with a bibble beside him but the line was delivered the same way as mine “Ghana-must-go full of money”.

Has anyone had similar encounter in Abuja or anywhere in Nigeria? If YES, please share it and if NO, then inform friends and family members to be weary of such characters as am sure they still manage to dupe some people (some greedy people)

Here is my friends experience:

Deb was standing at Banex junction in Wuse, Abuja, trying to get a car/bus to kubwa. A guy suddenly walk towards her and asked for directions with a piece of paper on which an address was supposedly written. "Please I'm looking for this address, can you be of help", he said, as he showed her the piece of paper. As she turned spontaneously and took a look at the paper, she said she suddenly began to feel dizzy. So dizzy she felt that she immediately knew there was something misterious about the paper and turned her face away. The man still insisted saying "No, please look at the address, its somewhere in Wuse here but I'm new in town".

She responded by screaming at the man saying "I SAID LEAVE ME ALONE!!". Then she walked away and crossed to the other side of the road. As she got to the other side, still feeling druggy, another young man walked up to her saying, "Ah! madam, it seems that man is new in town and doesnt actually know where he is going. let us just help him noww". My friend then knew that they were a team of crooks so she screamed 'They are thieves oHH!!! Help me!!" The two of them took to their heels with the second one saying "sorry, sorry" as he trotted away.

She was feeling so druggy, she had to take a drop back home (Area 11, Garki). On reaching home, she said she could hardly even recognize her Aunt. She went straight to bed immediately without dinner. She slept so long (from the early hours of evening till about 11pm), everyone at home had to ask her what happened to her when she finally woke up.

She just replied saying "You people should just start thanking God for my life".


[size=16pt]MAY GOD DELIVER US FROM EVIL[/size]

my own experience -

a lady came into my house as a sale rep. selling one kain thing like that - this lady na real 419 special o - ok, she enter - begin display her things for my centre table - i dey look one by one - i look tire, i say - wetin i go buy from this woman o - i no see anything, meanwhile ase na 419, her own 419 na special. u wan no wetin she 419 me with?

Look, she come say she wan toilet, ishow am toilet, me i be single man, so no problem, she enter toilet, o'boy - by the time wey she go comot, na naked she take comot o, hey - i say wetin happen, she say she see lizard for my toilet, i say, na toilet u wan use, na im u come off all your cloth like this, she say na so she dey do, this time, i don close my eye, make i no go see wetin i no suppose see - na im i say, so na lizrd na im come make u run naked for outside like this, she say yes o, say na lizrd kill him papa, o'boy, fear come begin grip me - at the same time, my hing dey do paka poko peke for trouser.

Chei, na im i say ok, go dress up, before i go say dress up, this girl jump on me, begin hol my thing, begin do ojoro to my thing, o boy - this girl use 419 fok me o, under pretext say na sale woman she be - not knowing say she be deyneed sex that day, omo 419 no be for money alone o - at least she get wetin she want.

I've not had any experience with them and i hope i don't
I 've heard a lot about them.

Here is another one.

My friends brother-in-law was driving back home from Bwari. He saw a young lady waiting to get a taxi/bus and he thought he could be of help. He stoped to pick her out of empathy (I'm not sure it was just that). She hopped into the car. She pleaded that she needed to pick up something from her junior brother house just along the way when they get around Jabi district. He said "No big deal". She directed him small shanty compound somewhere along the express way when they got to Jabi. She hopped out of the car to get her stuff. On coming back to the car, two guys were following behind to see her off, or so it seemed. She hopped back into the car and they hopped in too.

Up till today he doesnt know why he didnt object to them entering his car or even ask who they were. It was like a dream how he drove them happily to his bank and withdrew a lovely fat sweet sum (No, Lump is the word) of money. he got back to the car, handed it over to them like a gift, and even drove them to their desired point of getting off his sweet ride. It was like they were using remote control on him.

That was how my guy hit scratch. He cant explain it. Though he seems to be recovering financialy now, it took him some 2/3 years to get back to his feet. He still cant tell many what happened to him. And during the period this 419 mishap occured he happened to be holding money for quite a number of folks in his financial club. He had to do away with some of his prized possessions to pay back.

Never experienced any scams, again, one of the many reasons I stay away from Nigeria.

@ Holiiness,

Dat one no be 419, in fact na u 419 d girl na. OLE!!!

I have heard so many peoples experience about the 'dollar' 419. It seems to be the most common trick
in Abuja. These people just work on your greed. The easiest way out is just to be very wary of any 'awoof'
money. I know a nurse who escaped being caught in the web, only to see the same woman in the hospital a few weeks later. I guess the woman knew something was up, cos she disappeared b4 the nurse could raise alarm.

Be careful, be prayerful.

The only way out is to be vigillant! a very little fraction out of 140millioan ppl can not be allowed to ruin the country's image for life, or discourage its citizens abroad from coming returning home. i think we can get rid of these people with a collective & aggresive effort, lets not hesitate to expose any one found guilty;

Things are tough in naija, but the thruth is it will neva get beta with these 419ners around! THEY DISCOURAGE INVESTMENTS THAT WILL LATER CREATE THE JOBS THAT MILLIONS OF NIGERIAN YOUTHS ARE DYING TO HAVE!

Armed robbery,fraud and corruption is highly minimal in the west (not only) because the police is efficient, but also because their citizens always want to help by exposing criminals. and thet is why u can hardly get away with crime.

We Nigerians are becoming used to complaining while putting up with crime, NO! If u suspect or witnes any fraudulent act, expose them without puting urself in danger. I know naija police could be useless atimes,however the EFCC i belive can still handle matters relating to fraud. Lets work together & face the challenge of our generation for the future of our children!

One thing is clear,even if u have dual nationalty u are still a black african,a Nigerian, & one day someone will remind u of ur roots! Enough of AFRICAN SLAVERY! lets build a Nigeria that will be condusive for her citizen to live in hapilly without fear of being robbed or raped without going on punished!

I agree with Oceanblue. Though the Nigerian police is yet to be liberated from corruption and inadequacy, we can begin to sensitize ourselves with effective means on the different tactics of these 419ners.

There is an estate in Nigeris where all the houses have loud sirens mounted on the roof top. Immediatly a break-in/robbery is being suspected they blare their sirens, in response to the first alarm. The sirens get so loud that the robbers get confused/frustrated and just have to leave. (I just hope the sirens dont rely on NEPA and that the robbers dont unleash their frustration on people in range) Is'nt that cooperation against armed robbery.

We build personal houses with huge sums of money in Nigeria without ever thinking of security hideouts and measures.

I hope a new generation with a better security sense would emerge.

That's you and I

@wham, yeah i guess,

@the topic, i`ve not really had any cuz man i`m way tooooooooo cautious of such things, but hey one cane never be too careful i guess!!!!

but my sis was a victim n her story`s similar to that of wham`s friends bro-inlaw, and so was my closefriend!!!!!!
twas funny afterwards tho but scary when it happened!!!

@Poster

Your experience is infact an old trick used by 419ers especially in Benin.

My Experience
One day in Ojuelegba,i was heading to my junior brother school to pick him up.On my way a guy just walk up to me and ask for APAPA WOLF that he his not a Nigerian that he his from COTONOU that he came to supply some people electronics and mobile phones so he mis the road when going back to collect his money, I was like,am busy right now cos am going somewhere, You can cross to the other side and board a bus going to Apapa.Suddenly,a guy was @ my back and he ask from the Guy, The Guy walked up to me and told me that let us help this Guy he may want to help us too by giving both of us CAMERA PHONE EACH.I was like oh my God, I need to go and pick my Junior broda now and i can`t help cos i don`t want to leave my broda stranded in school.The Guy tried to convince me that we can just take him to the place and we leave him there so that i can go and pick my broda up, I was really pissed off and i told the Guy who support the guy in their develish character, If U need a Camera Phone,u can help him but me, No way am not Greedy, Although i don`t have Camera Phone but i can still manage wat i have.He was like, Oh sorry may be i will help him and i said Good luck u fools, They quickly walk out of me.U won`t believe that I saw this Fucking Guy that said he didn`t know anywhere in Nigeria @ OSHODI the second day?I was really unhappy that i can`t shout on him cos he was @ the other bridge, I was like ohh damn shit.

It is about 2yrs now, I experience this
They are damn fucking ritualist as i observe.

I pray any nairaland members never fall victim of this fools.


Love Ya.

i was in the bank one day and this guy walked up to me and called my name , surprised i greeted him .he then asked for a lift to barnawa and since that was my way i obligede him . anyway as we approached his place he kind of insist that i come into his house reluctantly i folllowed him then set my phone alarm for 15 minutes ,insude his sister scantly dressed came out to serve me or whatever buit he went in suddenly a guy came in from outside crying begging me to help plead with my friend , then the guy came out to tell me that he helped the guy pay for his haulage only to discover that the goods in the bags are dollars and i just smiled made way outside to pick my call for the phone alarm just went off ,.since then i dread picking up any body i do not know .

if you talking about that,what do you want to say about me, a pick pocket stole my phone the next street i was living, i was walking with my friend when i saw my girlfriend in front of me and i was beaming with smile.all of a sudden the guy just came by my side and was greeting me like he knew me and i was even playing with him not know the devil was planning strategy on removin my phone.it was like juju working and immediately he did his partner came by on a bike and he jump on it and zoom off he went.it was even my girl that made me remember when she asked for the fone, i no fit cry i jut dey laugh.Devil don work wetin man go do.

@poster,

whats with ur family,friends and 419ers

well believe it or not,my kid sis fell victim as well.these guys are pros.one of them was trying to talk to her from his car but she just walked on.then another one came along and asked her to speak to him as she knew him to be a pastor.so she stopped to talk to him and behold he knew her name,where she lived,even what course she studied.he then told her something very personal about herself(something only her immediate family would know).This happened very close to unilag.she ended up coming home,taking money and jewelry and give to them.


Most of these people have accomplices.beware of the neutral person who comes along to encourage you to either listen to or assist a stranger.

i wish u all d best of luck!

I had a similar xpereince back in the late 90's in Lagos.It's just up to we 9ja's to stare at "get rich quick (awoof)" ideas in the face and ignore greed.
Trust me these people are everywhere,even in Europe.Just when you thought the white looking guy approaching you from inside a nice jaguar is some random dude who needs direction or assistance finding his way he turns out to be a scam artist who wants to offer me a nice Hugo Boss suit which definitely is "baroof" for less than 10 times the original price.Contentment always pays.

THE DOLLARS,NEW PERSON,FRENCH SPEAKING AND LETS JUST HELP HIM R NORMAL GIST THOSE DAYS IN BENIN,WITH TIME 1 WILL EXPECT THESE PEOPLE TP GET NEW IDEAS BUT TILL 2MORW DE STILL SAY THESE THINGS.PERSONALLY I THINK AN AVG NIGERIAN SHOULD KNOW BETA XCEPT DE R USING JUJU.THE BEST THING WATCH PEOPLE THAT APPROACH U FIRST.

AND PRAY B4 U LEAVE UR HOUSE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I had a similar experience, about the dollar stuff, i actually fell for it and was duped my whole alawee as a corps member then. Thank God am back to my feet.

Mine happened @ suleja. i was on my holidays @my aunt's place. i was going to see a family friend and on my way there at abt 4pm, a guy walked up to me speaking french. i dont understand french so i used sign language to show him that i couldn't understand him and went off.

before then one guy was just pestering me for my name ( as in toasting levels) so he was behind me when the 'french guy' was making enquiries. so the guy being an igbo guy told me in igbo language that we should at least help the man.

He understood french a little, so he became the interpreter. his story turned out to be that he brought some goods all the way for his oga, but unfortunately his oga travelled before his arrival and he doesn't know when the oga was coming back. he said he was stranded and he doesn't mind selling off his goods and going back to his base.

the other igbo guy  asked him futher and he then he decided to take us to the warehouse. on getting there, he said he couldn't find the key to the ware house, but he had some other goods in his custody. he brought out a box, and then told us that the stuff inside the box was for interior decoration. all we just need do is to wash it with a chemical and the design would come out.

he filled a little basin with water and poured some of those chemical, then poured like 5 of the interior deco stuff, as he was washing , they turned out to be our currency. the igbo exclaimed in igbo lang, saying that this is our money and the french guy doesn't know. we were later told that there was no more chemical and that they need to get more and it will cost about 250,000. since we were 2, i.e the igbo guy and myself, they splited thecost btw the both of us, and made us take an oath that we wouldn't tell anyone and in 7 days get the money or we would die.

i was actually scared of dying, and couldn't tell anybody so i kept all to my self and was counting my remaining days on earth. on the 6th day, i was in church, and lo and behold someone was giving a testimony about the same thing, same storyline like my own, after the service that day, i met the guy and told him and my pple all i had been going through. they had a good laugh anyway and the following day, i took them there, but the whole place was deserted as in locked up as if nobody actually live there.

I thank God because the temptation was so much that i would have nearly committed the crime of stealing my aunt or even that our family friend's money

hi guys,

na only God fit save us.
please beware, these guyz use juju. no be ordinary eyes in some cases.
thats is the reason why every body needs to pray before leaving home.

also, to be free, stay away from 'fantabulous' offers. dont reap where u never sowed.

stay cool, CHEERS.

Booooorrrinnnnggg (yawn)

These 419 peeps need to come up with new tricks. . .!!

mine happened in 2005 in Abuja,

i was standing at minister's hill junction going to Kubwa. a few minutes later a blue taxi stopped in front of me and d driver said he is going to kubwa. i entered and i saw two guys and a fair lady. whn we got to d second flyover, one of the guys said he will alight and dat he has a bag in the boot. the old story began. "u mean u re d owner of dt bag, ehn, whn i was asking who owns it why didnt u say anyting. infact i am suspecting and whn we get to kubwa, i will take u to the police station."

d guy who was bin accused said dt d bag blongs to his boss who was greedy dat he stole  d money dt juju was tied on the money. only a powerful prayer man can unloose it. infact d story is long and annoying bt i was still nt suspecting anything.

bt whn dey insisted on going to a prayer man to help dem to loose d money with d sum of N3,000.00 and wanted to head to Central Mosque. i told d driver dat i want to alight.

i started thinking dat wht is dere buiness with d guy, dat y are dey so keen on helping d guy to remove d jazz on d money and still agreeing dat dey will share d money in order for the guy nt to be reported.

anyway, whn i got home i xplained wht happpennd to my frnd. she told me dose pple were 419ners. NO. it is nt possible. the acts were so convincing. d accused was crying. i still ddnt blive until a collegue of mine told me d same story.

d style dey re using nw is,
whn u flag a taxi,  and u tell d driver where u re going, some one too will say dat he/she is going to the same place dat u can share the fare btw urselves. at d end of the day, u ll end up bin robbed. bcs d driver says dat he cant remember d route, it is d other person dat will start giving directions, if u protest of course expect a gbosa on ur face.
"so look before u flag/enter."

Wow, it sounds as though Abuja is a dangerous place or something, I hope not 

I remember my sister saying her friend was duped in London. She entered a cab in London (Nigerian driver). Somehow along the route, someone else joined the car and they started to argue with the driver, the lady interupted and told them to calm down. She said from that point on it was a blurr, apparently she ended up taking them to her home and giving them all her mothers jewellery and money in the house. She remembered nothing of it.

This Juju is actually very real?

This topic no get head atall! no be only 419! na 914!

I had 419ners experinece few days after my weding, the call just came in around 5a.m with private number. so i definitely thought the call was from mu cousin in USA , as i was saying'hello, hello. the guy said 'do you know who is speaking?' i said 'no' . He then ask me to guess since i can see taht it is private number and surely it will be an international call. That was how i shouted the name of this my cousin, i was even telling him that i was not happy with him because he did 't show up for my wedding and also did not send anything. he now apologized and tell me that was why he called me and that he one of his friens just arrive Naija and that he sent us some items (Laptop, Handsets andsome Dollars ). He now asked me to wqrite down the guys Number and that he is currently lodge in our of the hotekl

It happened just few days after my wedding. I received a call at around 5a.m showing private Number, so I thought it should be an international call. The caller greeted me like somebody that knows me very well. I later asked him who was on the line , he refused to discus his identity and he told me jokingly to guess that as I can see the call is an international call( I believe he hid his Number)

And because I have a cousin in USA , I now mentioned the name of my cousin and I started discussing with him that he refused to show up for my wedding and also did not send anything. He now said that was why he called me and that he sent me some items (LAPTOPS, 2 HANDSSETS AND SOME DOLLARS). I was happy and thank him. He now said that one of his friend is currently in Naija but he’s in an hotel at the moment, he gave us the guy’s number and asked us to call him so that he will arrange how we are to collect the items and the cash.

My husband called the line and a guy picked the call but he said since he has never seeing us before, he will want to confirm from his friend(thatis my cousin) wether he can go ahead and give us the items and cash . He now said he doesn’t have credit to call out now and he doesn’t know anywhere to buy recharge card, so he asked us to send him N3, 000 recharge card which we did sent to him.

He call back after some hours and told us that he had confirm from my cousin but he will still need more recharge card for him to be contacting us because the items are really not in Lagos but somewhere around Oyo .

That was how my husband woke up that it must be 419ner, my husband now asked him to recall the exact items sent, believe you mean he mentioned the items which are quite too many than the previous guy and my husand just tell him it’s okay that he will still get back to him. He never even bother calling us after then, we called the number afer some days and rain abuses on him, and he just kept mute.

We just keep wondering how he got to know my number.

Only fools and big eye people fall for 419 or whatever name you have for it! How can you discuse your cousin's absence from your wedding, his friends presence in Nigeria, talk about lap-tops, cell phone, and Dollars still you can't tell if its your cousin or not? You must have had all your hopes in those gift and didn't even pay attention to the voice! I don't even think you know your cousin very well to get gifts from him or else you for sabi em voice! The 419 guy no even smart you for spend pass regard card! At this point na 319 happen to you!